[Freeridin']

Soon I'll be through with my recovery from a shoulder injury and back on a bike. I want to start wearing some sort of chest protection. I'm interested in the TLD CP 5955 chest protector as well as the Leatt Adventure chest protector but would like some more options as well. The majority of the products I have look at are targeted towards moto.

There is little/no sizing information about the TLD. My biggest concern is it being too short. I'm 6'4" and between 170-180lbs. Does the length or vertical coverage change within sizes on the TLD?

Other suggestions for chest protectors?
-hard shell...ish
-leatt compatible
-shoulder coverage
-not bulky
-lightweight

 

[BigBoi]

I like my 661 Evo Pressure Suit. It's not bulky and I've taken a number of nasty crashes with it and it's held up great.
Jenson has them on sale right now.

 

[Freeridin']

Not looking for a pressure suite, something more along the line of a roost protector.

 

[BigBoi]

Guess I read your post wrong. I thought you were looking for a chest protector that would also help your recently injured shoulder. Not sure how much a roost protector will help with that.

 

[stiksandstones]

freeridin,
the 5955 meets and exceeds ALL of those qualities you are looking for, but I am not sure its going to do anything for a shoulder injury protection. You would wear a large, and with over 40 different variations of fitament on these things, it fits a wide variety of people and preference of placement. I really feel there is no better chest protector, but again, not sure its going to do much for your shoulder rehab, its more along the lines about protecting broken ribs, internal chest injuries, etc...I have more DHers wearing this 5955 than I have ever seen in DH, due to its comfort and slim fit.

 

[MinorThreat]

Not sure how much a roost protector will help with that.

On the whole, roost protectors have superior shoulder caps compared to race suits. I used a SixSixOne Prodigy last season because of that. The shoulder caps on race suits are really just 'tree-brush' cosmetics.

My only reservations with most hard-shell chest protectors is that they don't have the extended spine armoring that race suits have. My back always felt a little vulnerable.

For the record, Freeridin', the Prodigy plays very well with a Leatt. Neck opening is generous and adjustable and the back plate is raised in the middle to clear the strut. You might also check out the Alpinestars A-10. It was designed to work with a neck brace and has integrated spine armor. Strikes me as one of the more robust hardshells out there right now.

 

[cableguy]

5955 is pretty awesome. Really well designed. Vents well and perfect for summer riding.

 

[Bedlam]

I run the 5900 (same but without the shoulder thingies), together with a 661 subgear short sleeve, and it's awesome. Vents really well, feels snug but not restrictive and works like a charm with a neck brace if you swing that way.. My only gripe is that it's a bit short in the rear, my lower back feels exposed. I'm actually contemplating running a kidney belt with a hard plate to complement it, as I had quite a bad spill last year (before I bought the TLD gear, was running a Dainese jacket back then) that left me pretty mangled in my lower back..

 

[bobsten]

I'd recommend the Thor Sentinel roost guard. I had a lot of success with it. I cut away the plastic on the chest / shoulder to run a Leatt.

Fox has a good roost guard too, supposed to button right up to a Leatt.

 

[rockofullr]

I've always wondered why guys wear roost protectors. I've taken lots of hits getting off the bike but never had a serious impact to my chest.

Why do you guys prefer roost guards over pressure suit style armor?

 

[Freeridin']

I guess I threw things off a little by mentioning a shoulder injury. Pressure suit, body armor, or roost vest all will offer little protection for shoulder/ collar bone dislocations IMO. In terms of the shoulder, all I'm really looking for is a little cover in case I go head first/ shoulder first into a tree.

The TLD seems really nice, but there has to be more out there. Looking at online moto stores there are between 20-50 offerings.

I'll look into the ones posted, thanks.
Also the Alpinestar A8/10 looks like it offers huge amounts of protection, but likely to be too bulky and hot for me to actually want to use it.

 

[MinorThreat]

I've always wondered why guys wear roost protectors. I've taken lots of hits getting off the bike but never had a serious impact to my chest. Why do you guys prefer roost guards over pressure suit style armor?

I like having hard-shell Lexan at times between me and sharp N. Idaho granite.. Plus, i like the idea of a suspended hard-shell shoulder cup.

I have landed chest-first at speed on large, angular rocks before and have been thankful for the extra impact resistance. All of that said, roost deflectors are a bit short in the torso compared to race suits.

Also the Alpinestar A8/10 looks like it offers huge amounts of protection, but likely to be too bulky and hot for me to actually want to use it.

You might be surprised. Go to a moto shop and check a few out. all that Lexan is pretty darned light. Both my Prodigy and my older Defender are lighter than both pressure Suits I've had - - and are cooler. I have the Prodigy mostly to have some lightweight, better-vented protection for Super-D racing.

 

[stiksandstones]

You need to try that 5955 on. Yeah, I am biased, but of all the athletes I have had come into our showroom/museum/retail store to BUY one, in addition to ALL the athletes that came to check it out when I went to mammoth motocross last summer-everyone that tries it on, bought one. Truth.

Brosnan is running one under his jersey on moto, still trying to get him to run one in DH! Hill as well.

 

[Aedubber]

Im in the same boat man but i dont have a banged up shoulder .. Im looking for something light with some protection for the chest , back, and shoulders would be a bonus ! Lemme know what you come up with or go with .

 

[ustemuf]

only thing that scares me about crashing in my 5900 is the huge ass bolts on the inside of the protector..

i'm not very fat, and the energy from the crash has to be absorbed somewhere... seems like it would be all through these bolts.

there definitely is room for improvement on this design.. like flushing out the bolts with padding or recessed in so the impact is dispersed evenly and not just where the bolts are contacting your body.

anyone else know what i'm saying? or am i just a skinny wuss.... wait, don't answer that last one.

 

[Huck Banzai]

What kind of shoulder injury? I am 2 days back into DH after surgery an L5 A/C Separation back in July.

If its a dislo or a high energy injury like that, armor really isnt going to do jack. Its good for impacts and 'stabs' and general abrasion dispersion/reduction, but the hits that dislocate, separate and break are mostly out of armors realm (unless you have some exoskeleton.) My chest plate HAS saved me broken ribs Im sure, but otherwise I mainly used mine for the shoulder cups. (When your a Yeti, its easy to clip trees.)

In fact, part of my injury analysis with the doc included that the shoulder cup on my armor may have contributed significantly to my injury by grabbing and gripping pushing my shoulder down which could have been deflected or displaced very differently if I hadnt been wearing it. Im all about knees & elbows, but armor is now a question....

 

[gemini2k]

Not looking for a pressure suite, something more along the line of a roost protector.

You running into a lot of roost on the DH trail or something? Can't see why a roost protector would be of any value especially compare to a real pressure suit style protector.

 

[Freeridin']

Surgery was for a dislocated clavicle and labrum repair. I now have a metal cable holding my clavicle in place. I believe that if I was wearing shoulder cups the force would have been spread out and lessening the chances for a dislocated clavicle. Doing so could also enhance the chances of a shoulder subluxation/ dislocation however that's a regular occurrence for me.

Most pressure suits I have seen have little actual chest protection, maybe something like a square foot of a rubber like plate. One fall of mine clearly shows where a roost guard would benefit. Went over the bars and was thrown into the woods, less than I foot from were I landed was a downed pine tree with its branches cut to a foot long....take one of those to the chest and your done.

Lastly, pressure suits are simply to hot and bulky for me to consistently wear them. Even if they offer more protection they don't offer anything when left in the truck.

 

[Huck Banzai]

Surgery was for a dislocated clavicle and labrum repair. I now have a metal cable holding my clavicle in place. I believe that if I was wearing shoulder cups the force would have been spread out and lessening the chances for a dislocated clavicle. Doing so could also enhance the chances of a shoulder subluxation/ dislocation however that's a regular occurrence for me.

Most pressure suits I have seen have little actual chest protection, maybe something like a square foot of a rubber like plate. One fall of mine clearly shows where a roost guard would benefit. Went over the bars and was thrown into the woods, less than I foot from were I landed was a downed pine tree with its branches cut to a foot long....take one of those to the chest and your done.

Lastly, pressure suits are simply to hot and bulky for me to consistently wear them. Even if they offer more protection they don't offer anything when left in the truck.

Hopefully that metal cable is reinforcing your trapezoid/conoid and not holding you together by itself! I have a multi loop of nylon with 2 endo-buttons in mine, I refer to it as my bionics.

Why do people refer to all body armor as 'pressure suits'? A pressure suit is high altitude pilot suit, or 661 brand body armor. (Is this the new fitment or colourways?)

I am by no means the authoritaty, but after much research, I dont believe the cups/armor can prevent this type of injury; Hell this is a common football injury where you have jacked guys wearing a TON more shoulder and chest protection than we do, and still. The suit wont immobilize or reinforce your shoulder process, just cover it from being hit, and you can pad your clavicle and shoulder process all day, and all it takes is falling on an outstretched arm and BOOM, your padding is moot.

I'm not trying to 'oppose' just that I have put quite a bit of time into worrying about reinjury, read, asked, questioned, analyzed, opined, gathered facts, and I think your best bet is to put it out of your mind and focus on riding.

I have a POC Spine VPD Tee, and the chest protection is better than most; there are some Dainese with some hard plastic chest plates, and rib inserts around the side as well.

That 5955 looks about as well protected as you can get, and is hardly 'just' a roost guard (although it looks to cover that pretty well as well) - I would be curious to know more about these protruding bolts mentioned above though.

 

[Freeridin']

Regardless of protection offered by shoulder cups, the mere presence of something covering my shoulder will mentally comfort me.

 

[MinorThreat]

Why do people refer to all body armor as 'pressure suits'? A pressure suit is high altitude pilot suit, or 661 brand body armor. (Is this the new fitment or colourways?)

That's why I prefer to say 'race suit' - - even though I am by necessity 661-centric.

. . . The suit wont immobilize or reinforce your shoulder process, just cover it from being hit, and you can pad your clavicle and shoulder process all day, and all it takes is falling on an outstretched arm and BOOM, your padding is moot.

A suspended shoulder cup will not 'immobilize or reinforce' to be sure; but it WILL, as Freeridin' noted, spread and disperse load forces. And, although the outstretch arm is a common cause of broken collarbones, it is by no means the only mechanism of that injury.

First race of 2010, I folded nose-down on an over-jump. My hands were still gripping the bars as I pitched forward and landed full-force onto my right shoulder and side of my head. I was wearing a race suit with typical minimal shoulder pad/cup and snapped my right-side clavicle. I'm not totally convinced it could have been avoided but I believe I'd at least have stood a better chance with hard-shell protection that had a functional, suspended shoulder cap.

I, too, have done way too much reading/research/thinking about this since my first c-bone (left side) break back in about 2000. My first armor after that was a set of Easton hockey pads because they were 1) robust; 2) cheap; and 3) not heavy. Yeah, they were a little hot but, damn, were they stout. You could run into a truck and just bounce off.

My first bike armor was a 661 Pressure Suit that I felt so vulnerable in that I had a local outdoor-gear seamstress graft Defender shoulder caps onto it. It was a bit goofy but they worked. I'll post a pic or 2 when I find them. My 'dream' protection would be a hard-shell that worked with my Leatt, that had good spine armor, real shoulder caps and still a close-to-the-body fit so that it would all go under a jersey.

But maybe that's all just brittle, 57-year-old bones talking .

Regardless of protection offered by shoulder cups, the mere presence of something covering my shoulder will mentally comfort me.

Truth told.

 

[Huck Banzai]

Regardless of protection offered by shoulder cups, the mere presence of something covering my shoulder will mentally comfort me.

Now you're talking. Despite that comment, I did wear my POC (most) of this past weekend.

Mental is everything, without it - nothing else stacks up.

 

[Huck Banzai]

That's why I prefer to say 'race suit' - - even though I am by necessity 661-centric.

A suspended shoulder cup will not 'immobilize or reinforce' to be sure; but it WILL, as Freeridin' noted, spread and disperse load forces. And, although the outstretch arm is a common cause of broken collarbones, it is by no means the only mechanism of that injury.

And the percentage of Clav breaks from direct impacts is the LEAST common means of breakage by far, although not unheard of; Im not aware of ANY armor that covers any significant portion of clavicle. The bulk of breaks are due to compression from a fall, whether its onto outstretched arm, or from displacement of the whole process directly hitting the ground.

Im not saying shoulder cups dont offer protection of sorts, but not for dislocations, rotator cuff, labrum, A/C Seps - I dont believe they offer any protection from those injuries.

I'll probably continue to ride alternately with/without mine depending how I feel, but I always run the Knees n Elbs'!!


Bottom line is whatever makes you mentally comfortable - do it! Some people feel fine with just a helmet and shorts, some people prefer every pad. I flop around.


To the original point of the thread, I really like the looks of that 5955 from a protection (and robocop) POV. - Do it!